Is it the same without Tiger?

2008-06-26 07:32

Grand Blanc - Golf adjusted to life without Tiger Woods on Wednesday as the 50th Buick Open prepared to get underway without the sport's number one attraction.

Woods, who will not play again this season after undergoing knee surgery on Tuesday, had been scheduled to play at the Buick and the tournament is sure to feel his absence.

Warwick Hills has been left with just one golfer ranked among the world's top 20 in the field - former champion Jim Furyk.

"It's definitely going to take its toll and it's a question we are going to have to answer week-in and week-out," Furyk told reporters.

"I think the events such as this one...or St. Louis where we don't get to very often, with him not in the field it will be difficult for the event.

"I think it will have less impact on tournaments where he didn't play in the past...the British Open or the PGA will still go on.

"It's a definite hit for Warwick Hills and the Buick Open. He's in the mix and won a bunch here," said Furyk.

'Exciting tournaments'

"It will be difficult but (there's) still going to be a lot of good golf.

"We've had a lot of exciting tournaments that he has not teed it up in this year, so hopefully that will continue."

Even as Woods was recovering from surgery in a Utah hospital, the 14-time major winner remained the hot topic at the Buick Open where he was to be the centre-piece of the tournament's 50th anniversary celebrations.

Woods' picture appears on everything from media guides to promotional posters at Warwick Hills Golf Club and almost every interview begins with a question relating to the world number one and how his absence will affect everything from the Ryder Cup to television ratings.

While Woods' injury was widely viewed as a blow to the sport, others look at it as a rare opportunity to shine a light on players regularly left in the shadows when the world number one is in the field.

Rocco Mediate, who forced Woods to share the limelight with his gritty play at the US Open, conceded there was no way to replace Woods but that the Tour will survive without him.

Major winners

"Our Tour is doing wonderful. It's fine," said Mediate, the 2000 Buick champion. "Is it the same without Tiger? Of course not. If anybody says it is, they are lying.

"He will definitely be missed. But all of a sudden opportunities opened up. There will be two major winners that don't have to face him.

"It's a totally different ballgame, because you know if he was healthy he would be somewhere in there like he always is," said Mediate.

"So it's going to open up two big, huge opportunities, and the FedExCup stuff is wide open now.

"A lot of things have opened up because he had to go down with this knee injury."

- Reuters